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Topic: It's that time. (Read 1558 times)

Hugs. Thank you so much for puppy raising! Without puppy raisers like you, I would not have Zeus and many others would not have their dogs. It must be so bittersweet. I hope you are doing okay. I know you will miss her a ton.

Thanks, you guys. <3 It hasn't really sunk in yet, I guess? I mean, I know she's gone, but emotionally it hasn't hit me yet. I did miss my footwarmer this afternoon, though.

I can't wait until Thursday. Thursday is 'phase report day', when we get updates on which part of training they're in. X- P

I'm not too worried about Cambrie. She's alone in her kennel tonight, but this next week they'll be working on forming play groups and sooner or later they'll match her with a 'roommate' to share her kennel with, so she won't be all alone. They also have plenty of volunteers to love on her. <3

Wow, I don't know how I missed this thread, but I think it needed a bump anyway so I'm going to Comment! Of course, as a guide dog handler, and as a volunteer at my local guide dogs for the blind puppy raising group, I totally understand how much of a wonderful thing you've done! Really, even though my dog came from a different school, I have seen how Bittersweet it is for the puppy raisers. I know how much Cindy loves her raisers. When they came to see us at our graduation, my trainers warned me not to even try to control Cindi. And they were right, Cindi went absolutely ballistic when her raisers came in. She was so happy and I know that she had a very close connection to her puppy raiser. They made her into the amazing dog she is today, and I'm so grateful for that! I hope you're really proud of yourself and what you've done!

So now I'm a little curious, and I have to apologize if I'm a little behind. But are you planning on raising another puppy anytime in the future? And do you have any updates on how cambrie is doing?

Lots of hugs and tail wags from Cindi and I!

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Accept the things you can not change, have the courage to change the things you can, and have the wisdom to know the difference.

Wow, I don't know how I missed this thread, but I think it needed a bump anyway so I'm going to Comment! Of course, as a guide dog handler, and as a volunteer at my local guide dogs for the blind puppy raising group, I totally understand how much of a wonderful thing you've done! Really, even though my dog came from a different school, I have seen how Bittersweet it is for the puppy raisers. I know how much Cindy loves her raisers. When they came to see us at our graduation, my trainers warned me not to even try to control Cindi. And they were right, Cindi went absolutely ballistic when her raisers came in. She was so happy and I know that she had a very close connection to her puppy raiser. They made her into the amazing dog she is today, and I'm so grateful for that! I hope you're really proud of yourself and what you've done!

So now I'm a little curious, and I have to apologize if I'm a little behind. But are you planning on raising another puppy anytime in the future? And do you have any updates on how cambrie is doing?

Lots of hugs and tail wags from Cindi and I!

No worries! <3 I am very proud of her, and I know she's doing wonderfully - They all love her at the kennels, they're super happy with her despite her quirks. No big updates on her right now - She was spayed a week and a half ago, and is healing from that. She was dropped from breeding evaluations due to a minor cardio defect, one that will not affect her, but they don't want to pass on (I know the technicalities if you're curious). Once she heals (around the 15th or so) she'll be joining a training string and starting guidework training. :- ) I'm planning on updating her 'phase' in my signature as I get updates, so if you're interested, that'll be there.

You aren't behind at all. :- ) I haven't made a big update post, but no, I am not planning on raising another puppy - My new job won't allow it! I am starting at the end of the month as a kennel technician at GDB, with the understanding that eventually, I'll apply to start as an apprentice Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (They know this, they interviewed me knowing this. No guarantees, of course, but that's the plan.).

With me being on the San Rafael campus, I am worried that they'll send Cambrie up to the Oregon campus for training. Because they have the same thing with raisers and their puppies - We aren't allowed to see them until their graduation. (Cambrie was spayed on the day I had my working interview, actually. X- D So they could sequester her in the back of the vet clinic.) But I don't know what their plan is yet, that's just the best solution I've come up with...

That's not too terribly far from me. I didn't even know we had any big SD programs here so that's super cool!

Haha, yup! It's up there, and pretty big too. :- D Not quite as big as the San Rafael (SR) campus because SR houses the breeding and whelping programs too, but they have trainers and classes up there too, every two weeks a new graduation. :- ) ~70 dogs in training up there at the moment (not counting those currently in class or those there for boarding). SR has ~80 in training and is home to the ~20 recent breeder eval dogs (whether still healing or still being evaluated). SR also has all of the broods in season and the studs they're using, the broods who are very pregnant or have recently given birth, and all of the puppies that haven't gone out yet. <3

Punktestern, I'm super excited for you! congratulations on the new job! GDB turns out amazing dogs, and I'm so excited for you! I think you're going to love your job! We love our instructors and I still keep in close contact with mine! But I have heard GDB is making some larger changes and bringing in more interns. It's so neat that you are going to be one of them! I hope you love working there!

As an after thought, maybe you can still dog sit on weekend and things like that for other puppies! But since you're going to have so many dogs in your life, you might want a break from all those adorable furry faces! I don't think I could ever be a full time raiser, but if GDB did poodles I would dog sit. I wish my school had a puppy group here in Nevada so I could get in on the fun!

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Accept the things you can not change, have the courage to change the things you can, and have the wisdom to know the difference.

Punktestern, I'm super excited for you! congratulations on the new job! GDB turns out amazing dogs, and I'm so excited for you! I think you're going to love your job! We love our instructors and I still keep in close contact with mine! But I have heard GDB is making some larger changes and bringing in more interns. It's so neat that you are going to be one of them! I hope you love working there!

As an after thought, maybe you can still dog sit on weekend and things like that for other puppies! But since you're going to have so many dogs in your life, you might want a break from all those adorable furry faces! I don't think I could ever be a full time raiser, but if GDB did poodles I would dog sit. I wish my school had a puppy group here in Nevada so I could get in on the fun!

I can't do anything volunteer for them that resembles what I do at work, I'm afraid. :- ( So no puppy sitting either. (Something about labor laws.) But if you ever get the chance, puppy sitters are awesome. <3 I did that for a year before I got Cambrie.

I'm not an intern. :- ) I am a full-time employee. And not involved with the training yet - That'll hopefully come soon, but for now, I get to clean a lot of kennels. :- D Paying my dues and all that.

So many fond memories of staff and dogs from the San Rafael campus. They do a lot of training downtown, and I used to take acting lessons in a little theater there, and when we ate lunch we got to watch them train (our teacher let us watch as long as we didn't disturb them).

My junior high math teacher had a GSD who was a "guide dog reject" from GDB. Beautiful, well bred, sweet dog -- not sure why he wasn't selected, exactly, but my teacher and her husband loved him dearly and he had a great life with them.